‘Buried beneath the sands’ exhibition to take place at University of Leicester until 12 November

The rediscovery of Ancient Egyptian monuments, temples and tombs during the 19th century by pioneering adventurers will be charted as part of a new exhibition running at the University of Leicester until 12 November.

Titled ‘Buried beneath the sands: Unearthing Ancient Egypt’, the exhibition is brought to life through a number of beautiful contemporary images which showcase the majesty of the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Temple at Abu Simbel and a number of other iconic structures – some of the most exceptionally preserved monuments in history. The exhibition celebrates the achievements of Egyptologist and adventurer Giovanni Belzoni, who was the first to set foot inside Abu Simbel, which had been sealed for centuries beneath the sands of the desert. Belzoni’s exploits in Egypt have aroused strong feelings among some archaeologists – he used a battering ram to open sealed doorways in the Valley of the King and he carved his name (together with those of his companions) on the north wall of the temple sanctuary at Abu Simbel.

Frequent sauna bathing reduces the risk of elevated blood pressure, according to an extensive follow-up population-based study carried out at the University of Eastern Finland. The risk of developing elevated blood pressure was nearly 50% lower among men who had a sauna 4–7 times a week compared to men who had a sauna only once a week. These findings were published recently in the American Journal of Hypertension.

The same researchers have previously shown that frequent sauna bathing reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death, and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Elevated blood pressure is documented to be one of the most important risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. According to the research group, underlying protective mechanisms may include the beneficial effects of regular sauna bathing on blood pressure.

A genomic analysis of ancient human remains from KwaZulu-Natal revealed that southern Africa has an important role to play in writing the history of humankind. A research team from Uppsala University, Sweden, the Universities of Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand, South Africa, presents their results in the September 28th early online issue of Science. The team sequenced the genomes of seven individuals who lived in southern Africa 2300-300 years ago. The three oldest individuals dating to 2300-1800 years ago were genetically related to the descendants of the southern Khoe-San groups, and the four younger individuals who lived 500-300 years ago were genetically related to current-day South African Bantu-speaking groups. “This illustrates the population replacement that occurred in southern Africa”, says co-first author Carina Schlebusch, population geneticist at Uppsala University.